Principal Investigator / Institution

Program Contact

Program Description

CPWR is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit construction safety and health research and training arm of the North America’s Building Trades Unions, which represents 14 international/national building trades unions and more than 3 million workers. CPWR encourages the elimination or reduction of hazards that pose risks to the health and safety of workers in the U.S. construction industry. CPWR's training consortium consists of 13 international/national building trades unions that represent workers engaged in hazardous waste work at designated remediation sites and in other environmentally hazardous work assignments around the country. 

Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program (HWWTP)

The CPWR HWWTP provides environmental health and safety training to construction workers from a variety of crafts and organizations, such as electrical workers, insulators, carpenters, operating engineers and others. The goal of the CPWR HWWTP is to train construction workers to protect themselves and their communities from exposure to hazardous materials encountered during hazardous waste operations, environmental restoration of contaminated facilities or chemical emergency response. The program also aims to train construction workers on how to prevent the spread of infectious agents during hospital renovation and demolition. These efforts involve the delivery of peer-led, hands-on interactive health and safety training, as well as comprehensive train-the-trainer programs.

Environmental Career Worker Training Program (ECWTP)

The CPWR HWWTP provides environmental health and safety training to construction workers from a variety of crafts and organizations, such as electrical workers, insulators, carpenters, operating engineers and others. The goal of the CPWR HWWTP is to train construction workers to protect themselves and their communities from exposure to hazardous materials encountered during hazardous waste operations, environmental restoration of contaminated facilities or chemical emergency response. The program also aims to train construction workers on how to prevent the spread of infectious agents during hospital renovation and demolition. These efforts involve the delivery of peer-led, hands-on interactive health and safety training, as well as comprehensive train-the-trainer programs.

HAZMAT Disaster Preparedness Training Program (HDPTP)

The CPWR HDPTP program's goal is to further protect our nation’s workforce from injuries and exposures that may be encountered when responding to extreme weather events, natural and man-made disasters, and public health emergencies.

The CPWR HDPTP will train construction workers who may be called upon to support first responders and others in response, recovery, and cleanup activities following a major disaster or incident. These goals will be achieved through the delivery of train-the-trainer programs in partnership with CPWR’s building trade unions, which will develop a network of qualified health and safety trainers. These trainers can respond at a moment’s notice with effective, timely, pertinent, and critical training for construction skilled support personnel.

NIEHS/U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Worker Training Program

The major objective of the DOE program is to prevent work-related harm by training construction workers on DOE sites on how best to protect themselves and their communities from exposure to hazardous materials encountered during hazardous waste operations, facility decommissioning and decontamination, hazardous materials transportation, environmental restoration of contaminated facilities, or chemical emergency response. The program is national in scope. The 13 building trades unions that comprise CPWR's training consortium represent workers employed primarily by contractors and subcontractors working throughout DOE's nuclear weapons complex. This effort involves the delivery of peer-led, hands-on interactive health and safety training, as well as comprehensive train-the-trainer programs.

Project Duration

• August 1, 2025 - May 31, 2030 (HWWTP, ECWTP, HDPTP)
• September 1, 2025 - July 31, 2030 (DOE)

Grant Numbers

• U45 ES006185 (HWWTP, ECWTP, HDPTP)
• UH4 ES009764 (DOE)

Other Participating Organizations (http://www.unionroofers.com/)

• Building Pathways Boston (https://buildingpathwaysboston.org)
• GST MI Works Apprenticeship Readiness Program
• NOLA Trades Apprenticeship Readiness Program
• JobTrain Carpentry Pre-Apprenticeship Program
• International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers
• International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers
• International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
• United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America
• Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ International Association of the United States and Canada
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
• International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers
• International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
• International Union of Operating Engineers
• International Union of Elevator Constructors
• United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada
• International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers
• United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers
  (http://www.ubcgulfcoasttraining.org)